Life, 1901-08-01 · page 8 of 20
Life — August 1, 1901 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Hail Columbia Britannia!" - Life Magazine Satire This page satirizes three American-born men who fought for the British Empire. The cartoon shows them as traitors to American identity, depicted riding on Britannia (the British Empire personified as a woman), with one figure appearing distressed or being cast out. The text identifies William Waldorf Astor, Bradley Martin, and James J. Van Alen as men "who had the bad luck to be born Americans" yet chose to serve British interests, particularly during the Boer War in South Africa (early 1900s). The satire mocks their decision to seek honors and recognition from Britain rather than their native country. The cartoon's tone suggests American indignation at wealthy citizens abandoning their nationality for foreign prestige and imperial service.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
*LIPE« The Modern Christian’s Prayer. H Lord, I come to Thee in But pardon that I do not gracious presence nees With too much walki y chair instead Tl sit at ease, and humbly bow my head once more ; peel in Thy ard, Thou dost know 1 ten tickets to the m led on fifteen strangers in our town, Their contributions to our church put down, I've baked a pot of bean An “Old Time ” itis going to be. I've dressed thre r our annual fair, And made a cake which we will rafle there nstrel show. for Wednesday's spree— Now, with Thy boundless wisdom so sublime, Thou knowest that these duties all take time. T have no time to fight my spirit’s foes My children roam the streets from m I have no time to teach them to do ri ‘onsidering my car nd heed my p ighteousness, n supper and the minst the hearts of all to Induce all visitors to patronize The men wi 1 show, in Our programmes advertise, Because I've chased those merchants till th Whene'er the: y saw me coming—yes, they did. Increase the contributions to onr fair, And bless the people who assemble there. Bless Thou the grab-bag and the gypsy tent, ‘The flower table and the cake that’s sent. May our whist club be to Thy service blest ; ‘The dancing party gayer than the rest. And when Thou hast bestowed these blessings—then We pray that Thou wilt bless our souls. Amen. Caroline A Hail Setmbia Britannia ! M R. WILLIAM WAL: * DORF ASTOR, Mr. Bradley Martin and Mr. James J. Van Alen are three gentlemen who had the bad luck to be born Americans, Walker It was tough, but they were not disheartened. While all have done their best to live it three down, Mr. Van Alen has come out ahead, We learn from a New York = daily that the cottagers at Newport heard with pleasure that the purpose of Mr, James J. Van Alen in sailing for England is to receive from King Edward a decoration in recogni- tion of his services in caring for the sick of the British army in South Africa in the early part of the Boer war. He is to be made ‘‘a Knight of Grace of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem,” whatever that may be. The thoughtless reader might suppose from Mr. Van “Alen's name that his sympathies would go with his people: that the struggling Boers might profit by this tie of blood. But Mr. Van Alen was not carried away by his love of liberty, or by his enthusiasm for republican institutions. On the contrary, he ‘organized and equipped a complete field hospital, with which he went to the front with General Baller’s division in South Africa in the early part of the year 1900." If this Briton of Dutch descent had flourished in 1776, he might have struck some solid blows against the serpent of independence then rearing its head in America. Very Bab rou Just the Man. EPIToR (of yellow journal): Vf you are an Englishman Tam afraid that you may not be fitted for our peculiar journalism, Applicant: But I've been in South Africa for the last six months, writing up British victories for the London papers. In the Social Calendar. ODNEY: I don’t know just where to place those Tiffingtons, Dasyey: Oh, that’s an easy matter ; financially, they are somebody —intellectually. they are nobody. comicbooks.com